Introduction to the Historical Overview in Perseus
Geographical and Historical Introduction
The Landscape
Natural Resources
Diet
The Highway of the Sea
Climate
Earlier History
Mycenaean Civilization
The End of Mycenaean Civilization
The Early Greek Dark Age and Revival in the Near East
The Loss of Writing
The Question of a Dorian Invasion
The Poverty of the early Greek Dark Age
The Reconstruction of Social Hierarchy
Remaking Greek Civilization
The Start of Economic Revival
Technological Change: Using Iron
Agricultural Resurgence
Repopulation
The Definition of Aristocracy
Homer and the Social Values of Greek Aristocrats
The Male Ethic
A Woman's Excellence
The Recovery of Writing and Homer
The Olympic Games of Zeus and Hera
Competition and Community
Religion, Myth, and Community
The Mythical Origin of Justice
Justice in Dark-Age Life
Tensions between Leaders and Followers
The Injustice of Chiefs to Peasants
The Archaic Age
The Characteristics of the City-state (Polis)
Citizenship and the City-state
Geography and the Population of City-states
Aristotle on the City-state
Early Colonization
Economic Motives for Colonization
Mother-city and Colony
Demographic Motives for Colonization
The Tensions of Colonization
Contact with Eastern Mediterranean Civilizations
International Commerce
The Oracle at Delphi and Colonization
The Emergence of the City-State
Aristocrats and Non-aristocrats in the City-state
Inequality and Women in the City-state
The so-called Hoplite Revolution
Non-hoplites as Citizens
The Contribution of the Poor
Communal Decision Making
Slavery in Dark-Age Greece
The Synergy between Slavery and Freedom
Sources of Slaves
The Extent of Slavery
The Occupations of Slaves
Public Slaves
The Lives of Slaves
Women and the Household
Women Outside the Home
Marriage and Divorce
Paternalism and Women
The Late Archaic City-State
The Power of Sparta
The Early History of Sparta
Spartan Oligarchy
The Laws of Sparta
The Dangerous Situation of Sparta
Spartan Neighbors and Slaves
The Helots of Messenia
The Contribution of Helots
The Existence of Spartan Boys
The Equals
The Spartan Common Messes
Women at Sparta
Land Ownership at Sparta
Reproduction at Sparta
The Obligations of Spartans
Tyranny in the City-States
Tyranny at Corinth
Tyrants and Popular Support
Theseus and Democracy at Athens
The Athenian Population in the Dark Age
The Beginnings of Athenian Democracy
The Institutions of Incipient Democracy
The Laws of Draco
Economic Crisis and Subsistence Agriculture
The Reforms of Solon
Solon and Democracy
Opposition to Democracy
Tyranny at Athens
The Struggle between Isagoras and Cleisthenes
The Democratic Reforms of Cleisthenes
Persuasion and Cleisthenic Democracy
Lyric poetry
The Ionian Thinkers
Near Eastern Influence on the Ionian Thinkers
The Cosmos and Logos
Rational Thinking
Introduction to the Fifth Century
The Major Conflicts of Fifth-Century Greece
Sources of Strife betweeen Athens and Sparta
Clash Between Greeks and Persians
Athenian Mission for a Persian Alliance
Mutual Ignorance
Sowing a Seed of Conflict between Athens and Persia
The Kingdom of Persia
The Resources of Persia
Persian Religion
Persian Religious Non-Interference
The Beginning of the Persian Wars
Croesus of Lydia and the Ionian Greeks
Revolt in Ionia
Persian Vengeance against Athens
The Battle of Marathon
Announcing the Victory
Aftereffects of the Battle of Marathon
The Great Invasion of 480-479 B.C.
Greek Courage at Thermopylae
The Naval Battle of Salamis
End of the Persian Wars
Political Freedom and Greek Courage
Athenian Empire in the Golden Age
The Establishment of an Athenian Empire
The Misconduct of Pausanias the Spartan
Spartan Approval of Athenian Leadership
A Permanent Structure for the Alliance
The Finances of the Alliance (Delian League)
The Warships of the Delian League
The Rebellion of Thasos
The Military and Financial Success of the Delian League
Athenian Self-Interest in Empire
The Democratic Reform of the Athenian System of Justice
Helot Revolt at Sparta
The Reforms of Ephialtes
Athenian Radical Democracy
Ostracism
The Ostracism of Aristides
Ostracism and personal prominence
The Policies of Pericles
The Citizenship Law of Pericles
Periclean Foreign Policy
The Breakdown of Peace
The Periclean Building Program
Athenian Private Dwellings
City Houses
Liturgies and Benefactions
Benefactions by Cimon and his family
Public Funding of Buildings
The Scale of Athenian Public Buildings
Pericles' Acropolis
The Controversial Cost of the Periclean Program
The Parthenon
The Parthenon's design
The Parthenon's special architecture
Sculpture on the Parthenon
The Significance of the Parthenon Frieze
Athenian Religious and Cultural Life in the Golden Age
The Outlines of Greek Religion in the Classical Period
The Nature of the Gods
The Gods and Human Behavior
Sacrifices and Offerings
The Character of Sacrifices
Occasions for Sacrifice and Festivals
Large Animal Sacrifice
Hero Cults
The Eleusinian Mysteries
The Mystery of the Mysteries
Belief and Ritual
The Development of Athenian Tragedy
The Nature of Tragedy
The Performance of Tragedy
The Spectacle of Tragedy
Tragedians
Tragedy and the Polis
Sophocles' Success
Sophoclean Tragedies and Athenian Empire
Sophocles'
Ajax
Sophocles'
Antigone
Developments in Free-Standing Sculpture
Sculptors
Private Sculptural Commissions
The Emergence of a New Sculptural Style
Sculpture in Bronze
The Sculpture of Myron and Polyclitus
Continuity and Change in Athenian Social and Intellectual History
Property, Social Freedom, and Athenian Women
Women's Responsibilities and Property Rights
Inheritance and Dowry
Heiresses
Women's Lives at Home and at Work
Restrictions on the Lives of Upper-Class Women
Standards of Beauty
Paternity and Women's Social Standing
The Value of Sons
Prostitutes and “Companions”
“Companions” and Freedom of Speech with Men
Education, the Sophists, and New Intellectual Developments
Schools and Teachers
Literacy and the Poor
Mentorship in the Education of Males
Homosexuality and Mentorship
The Sophists
Protagoras
The Subjectivism of Protagoras
The Perceived Dangers of Relativism
Unsettling Cosmologies
Herodotus' New Kind of Historical Writing
Hippocrates' New Direction in Medicine
Tension Between Intellectual and Political Forces in the 430s
The Peloponnesian War and Athenian Life
The course of the Peloponnesian War
Thucydides, historian of the Peloponnesian War
Thucydides on the causes of the Peloponnesian War
Immediate causes of the war
Deeper causes of the war
Athenian strategy in the Peloponnesian War
Losses through Spartan invasions
The effects of epidemic
Athenian resilience after the epidemic
The success of Cleon at Pylos
The unexpected tactics of Brasidas
The Peace of Nicias
An uneasy peace
Attack on Melos
Launching the Expedition to Sicily
The mutilation of the Herms
Athenian defeat in Sicily
The aftermath of the defeat in Sicily
Revolts among the allies of Athens
Athenian resilience after defeat in Sicily
The oligarchic coup of 411
The restoration of democracy
The end of the war
The rule of the Thirty Tyrants
Social and cultural life at Athens in war time
Crowding in the city of Athens
The economic problems of farmers, workers, and business owners
The economic effects of war on Athenian women
War and the finances of Athens
Athenian comedy during the war
The humor and plots of Athenian comedy
Comedy as criticism of official policy
The
Lysistrata
of Aristophanes
Introduction to the Fourth Century
The Aftermath of the Peloponnesian War
Economic Strains on the Family
Manufacture and Trade
Agriculture and Private Property
The Daily Diet
The Loss of Slaves
Socrates
Socratic Ways
Socrates' Search for Justice
The Effect of Socrates
Aristophanes on Socrates
Socrates' Guilt by Association
The Prosecution of Socrates
The Execution of Socrates
The Struggle for Dominance after the Peloponnesian War
The Corinthian War and the King's Peace
Spartan Aggression and Athenian Resurgence
Stalemate after the Battle of Mantinea
New Directions in Philosophy and Education
The Life of Plato
Plato's Academy
The Dialogues of Plato
Platonic Doctrines
Platonic Forms
The Platonic Demiurge
Plato's Republic
Guardians in the Republic
Philosophy and Life
Aristotle, Scientist and Philosopher
Aristotle's Interests
Aristotle's Methods
Aristotle's Teleology
Aristotle on Slaves and Women
Aristotle on Just Behavior
Aristotle on Human Happiness
Practical Education and Rhetoric
Isocrates on Rhetoric
Isocrates on Panhellenism
The Creation of Macedonian Power
Macedonian Monarchy
Macedonians and Greeks
The Ambitions of Philip II
Philip's Reorganization of the Macedonian Army
Philip and the Greeks
The Aftermath of the Battle of Chaeronea
Alexander's Rise to Power
Alexander's Hopes
The Attack on the Persian Empire
The Siege of Tyre
Alexander in Egypt
The Conquest of Persia
Alexander's March to the East
Alexander in Afghanistan and India
The Return of Alexander
Alexander's Last Plans
The Aims of Alexander
The Death of Alexander
The Effect of Alexander